Thursday, 9 May 2013

Jorasanko, Kolkata India

About Jorasanko

At Kolkata, a must visit is the house of its most cherished and celebrated poet, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore’s ancestral home, Jorashanko Thakurbari is situated in North Kolkata, close to Girish Park on the Chittaranjan Avenue.

In the 18th century, Dwarakanath Tagore, who was Rabindranth Tagore’s grandfather, built this house. This house saw the journey of Rabindranath Tagore from his birth, through his life to his death. Today the house has been converted into a museum that includes collections from Tagore’s life. This heritage building also encompasses the campus of Rabindra Bharati University.

The building draws its name from the original twin temples of Shiva or Jora Shankar that is situated close by. The premises of the building also have the Rabindra Bharati Museum under the Rabindra Bharati University. This museum, which was found in 1961, houses collections of works by Abanindranath Tagore and Rabindranath Tagore. This museum remains closed on all University and Government Holidays and on Sundays.

A huge collection of paintings, books, photographs and manuscripts of Rabindranath and other 19th century towering personalities like Dwarkanath Tagore and Iswar Chanda Vidyasagar and more can be found in this museum. Paintings from Anglo Indian Schools and Bengal Schools, along with discs, journals, tapes, records, personal books belonging to the Tagore family can be found here.

Every year, according to the Bengali calendar, on the 25th day of Baishakh month that is generally 8th or 9th May, Rabindra Bharati Museum celebrates the birthday of Rabindranath Tagore. Similarly the occasion of the demise of the poet is observed here. The birth anniversaries of renowned poets across like Maharshi Devendranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Jyotirindranath and Dinendranath Tagore are also celebrated with equal grandeur.

There is a Light and Sound Show conducted at the museum that narrates the entire story of the Tagores’ coming to this house, their efforts at bringing renaissance in Bengal and the glorious life of the poet. Between July and September the house remains closed due to the rains.